Priceless Smile 2

Chapter 96: Nakime

     Their scene changed again as Kazumi's now walking on the road with Riku to her assigned mission. Just as she do so, she faced the men far from her as she could hear a woman's voice. As she walk a bit closer, a man is seen kicking a lady on the ground.

"Get up! We're still far from my place!" The man ordered.

They could see the lady already looking weak as her lips have turned dry and her clothes and body covered in dirt and her wrists are tied behind her.

"You should be thankful I haven't used my whip on you yet as I don't wanna waste such beauty of yours." The man said as he grab a handful of the lady's hair making her look up, but instead of speaking, she glared at him and spit on his face.

"Kill me if you want, bastard." She muttered out.

Just when the man's about to slap her, Kazumi grabbed his wrist. This surprised everyone on how a person's there to intervene.

"Who the hell are you?"

"Just someone passing by." Kazumi let go of his wrist as he stood up facing her.

"Kid.... you better stay away or he'll hurt you too." The lady said as she look at her.

"You heard her, I don't spare anyone. I punish anyone who gets in my way. Now if you're already blind, I might even cut your tongue if you won't get away." He threatened her.

"Miss, if I save you from this guy, would you like to get back to your family?" She asked facing the lady as she ignore the man's threat.

The man got pissed of her as he attempted to grab her by the hair but Kazumi just grabbed his wrist as she flip him down the ground and break his whole arm. As the man wail in pain, his guards attacked her but they all ended up on the ground despite their weapons against her who didn't even draw her sword out.

"How?" The lady muttered out in disbelief as she look at all the men on the ground.

Just then, she felt the rope tied around her wrist got cut as Kazumi helped her get up. She sat on the cart that was formerly being pulled by the men as Kazumi wipe her feet clean with a cloth and apply some ointment on them.

"Why did you help me?" She asked.

"Because I needed to. They're hurting you and I just can't turn around and ignore it." Kazumi answered as she hand her a gourd with water.

The lady took it as she drank all the water in it. She sighed when her stomach started growling too and Kazumi hand her an onigiri. She also took it and ate it instantly finishing it due to hunger. As she finish up, she got startled seeing a huge wolf beside the cart sitting on the ground.

"Don't be scared, he's my friend. And there, I finished up your feet." Kazumi said as she stood up.

"Thank you."

"Now back to my question earlier. Would you like to go back to your family?"

"It was actually my older-brother who sold me to that man because he can't pay his debt. So, I don't wanna go back. Yet, I don't know where to go. I don't know anyone who would take me in."

"That's quite a cruel thing. Then, how about my place? It's quite spacious." Kazumi offered.

"Really? But.... that would be embarrassing."

"Nah, anyway I'm Momiji Kazumi."

"I'm.... my name's Nakime."

Mitsuri and Obanai's mouths went agape hearing her name. The rest looked at them confused.

"Iguro-kun, isn't that...."

"Yes, the name of upper moon four."

"How do you know?" Shinobu asked.

"Kazumi's owl called her name during our fight. Before she played the tune to gather the other Pillars and slayers together in that room where we all saw each other." Mitsuri answered.

As their scene changed again, they already saw that the two have arrived to her place. As Toshiaki welcome them, he looked surprised seeing Nakime.

"Master, who is she?" He asked.

"She's a new friend of mine."

"I'm Nakime, nice to meet you."

"I'm Rengoku Toshiaki, nice to meet you too!"

With that, Kazumi led her to the bathroom as she also gave her some new clothes to wear. Since there are no other women there, they have no kimonos for females as they only managed to give her some yukatas that belongs to Kazumi.

"Um.... are you comfortable with that? I can buy some new ones for you." Kazumi asked.

"N-No need! I'm fine with this. I'm thankful for your kindness, giving me a place to stay is too much already. "

"You're quite right, her hair and voice even the shape of her face does tell that she's that upper moon four." Tengen squinted his eyes as he tilt his head holding his chin.

"Seems like after all this time, she never changed." Kagaya said.

They watched at how Nakime helped them with house chores and even cooking. As the two train, she would cook and clean as to not burden Kazumi even more of doing those after training the other. She also learned how to play some instruments from Kazumi, especially the biwa which later on became her favorite, as they have a few instruments in that estate. She looked so happy compared to how she look when Kazumi saw her on the road.

     Just as their scene changed again, they saw Kazumi standing in the center of the forest. She's surrounded by trees and thick bushes. And just then, as the wind pass by her, her nails grew long and sharp and her hair grew longer too reaching her waist. She lifted both her arms up towards the level of her chest as the ground began to rumble.

They watched how the wind gather in front of her and the roots and barks of the trees began to be taken in. In just a few minutes, they saw how she managed to build a huge estate out of nothing but her blood demon art that no simple demon can do. The estate looks huge and beautiful as if it was built by the best carpenters, even the plain ground now has pebbles on them as she enter the ground of the estate.

"This place.... it can't be...." Kagaya muttered out.

The place right in front of them now is the current headquarters of the corps in their timeline, the Ubuyashiki Estate. The exact same look with the same size and place.

"Amazing...." Tanjiro praised as he look at it completely stunned with the rest.

She walked in as she sat on the veranda.

"I guess I can use this place for some private matters." She said as she faced up.

A place she built in the middle of a forest almost as if it's a place out of nowhere. A place that you won't know not unless you have a guide.

Hanare then suddenly flinched a little as she smirk as an idea just popped up in her mind.

"I see, how 'bout I add some more people to join us yes? That'll be quite fun. "

"What do you mean?" Kanae asked becoming wary of her.

"The more people to regret their actions, the more satisfying it'll be for me to watch."
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A drawing of Riku with Kazumi and some of my oc's are now in my artbook! Feel free to see it.